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Judge Continues To Block Law Shielding Kids From On-line Porn

February 02, 1999|By From Tribune News Services.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA — A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction Monday to continue blocking a federal law aimed at shielding children from on-line pornography, paving the way for a full trial on the merits of the law.

U.S. District Judge Lowell Reed, issuing the injunction six hours before his earlier temporary restraining order would have expired, said the Child Online Protection Act could have the effect of hindering constitutionally protected speech.

The American Civil Liberties Union had filed suit against the law on behalf of 17 clients.

Justice Department spokeswoman Chris Watney would say only that the department will review the decision.

The law, the second major effort by Congress to protect children on the Internet, would require commercial Web sites to collect a credit card number or some other access code as proof of age before allowing Internet users to view on-line material "harmful to minors."

Violators would face penalties of up to 6 months in jail and $150,000 per day in fines.

Supporters say the measure is a sensible way to keep Internet pornography away from children. Unlike the Communications Decency Act of 1996, which the Supreme Court struck down, the disputed law applies only to commercial Web sites.